Bible: 2 Chronicles 26-30

Uzziah’s Reign

26:3Uzziahwas sixteenyearsold when he began to reign, and he reignedfor fifty-twoyearsin Jerusalem.5His mother’snamewas Jecholiah, who was fromJerusalem.26:4He didwhat the Lordapproved, justas his fatherAmaziahhaddone.626:5He followed7Godduringthe lifetimeof8 Zechariah, who taught himhow to honor God. As longas he followed9the Lord, Godcaused him to succeed.10

26:9Uzziahbuiltand fortified towersin Jerusalemat the CornerGate, ValleyGate, and at the Angle.1526:10He builttowersin the desertand dugmanycisterns, forhe owned manyherdsin the lowlands16and on the plain. He had workers in the fieldsand vineyardsin the hillsand in Carmel,17forhe lovedagriculture.18

26:11Uzziahhad an army of skilled warriorstrainedfor battle. They were organizedby divisionsaccording to the musterrolls made by Jeielthe scribeand Maaseiahthe officerunderthe authorityof Hananiah, a royalofficial.26:12The totalnumberof familyleaderswho led warriorswas 2,600.26:13They commandedan armyof 307,500skilled and able warriorswho were readyto defend19the kingagainsthis enemies.26:14Uzziahsuppliedshields, spears, helmets, breastplates, bows, and slingstonesfor the entirearmy.26:15In Jerusalemhe madewar machinescarefully designedto shootarrowsand largestonesfrom the towersand cornersof the walls. He became veryfamous, forhe received tremendoussupportand became powerful.20

26:16But once he became powerful, his pridedestroyedhim.21 He disobeyed22the Lordhis God. He enteredthe Lord’stempleto offer incenseonthe incensealtar.26:17Azariahthe priestand eightyother bravepriestsof the Lordfollowedhim in.26:18They confronted23KingUzziahand saidto him, “It is not properfor you, Uzziah, to offer incenseto the Lord. Thatis the responsibility of the priests, the descendantsof Aaron, who are consecratedto offer incense. Leavethe sanctuary, foryou have disobeyed24and the LordGodwill nothonoryou!”26:19Uzziah, who had an incensecenserin his hand, became angry. While he was ranting and raving25at the priests, a skin disease26appearedon his foreheadright there in frontof the priestsin the Lord’stemplenearthe incensealtar.26:20WhenAzariahthe highpriestand the otherpriestslooked at27him, there was a skin diseaseon his forehead. They hurriedhim outof there; eventhe king28 himselfwanted to leavequicklybecausethe Lordhad afflictedhim.26:21KingUzziahsuffered from a skin diseaseuntilthe dayhe died. He livedin separatequarters,29afflicted by a skin diseaseand banned fromthe Lord’stemple. His sonJothamwas in chargeof the palaceand ruledover thepeopleof the land.

26:22The restof the eventsof Uzziah’sreign, from startto finish, were recordedby the prophetIsaiahsonof Amoz.3026:23Uzziahpassed away31and was buriednear his ancestors32in a cemetery33belonging to the kings. (This was becausehe had a skin disease.)34 His sonJothamreplacedhim as king.

Jotham’s Reign

27:1Jothamwas twenty-fiveyearsoldwhen he began to reign, and he reignedfor sixteenyearsin Jerusalem.35His motherwas Jerushathe daughterof Zadok.27:2He didwhat the Lordapproved, just ashis fatherUzziahhad done.36(He did not, however, have the audacityto enterthe temple.)37 Yet the peoplewere stillsinning.

27:3HebuilttheUpperGateto the Lord’stempleand did a lot of work on the wallin the area known as Ophel.3827:4He builtcitiesin the hill countryof Judahand fortressesand towersin the forests.

27:5Helaunched a military campaign39againstthe kingof the Ammonitesand defeatedthem. Thatyearthe Ammonitespaidhim 100talents40of silver, 10,000kors41of wheat, and 10,000kors42 of barley. The Ammonitesalso paidthissame amount of annual tribute the next twoyears.43

27:6Jothamgrew powerfulbecausehe was determinedto please the Lordhis God.4427:7The restof the eventsof Jotham’sreign, including allhis militarycampaignsand his accomplishments, are recordedin the scrollof the kingsof Israeland Judah.4527:8He was twenty-fiveyearsoldwhenhe began to reign, and he reignedfor sixteenyearsin Jerusalem.27:9Jothampassed away46and was buriedin the Cityof David.47His sonAhazreplacedhim as king.

Ahaz’s Reign

28:1Ahazwas twentyyearsold when he began to reign, and he reignedfor sixteenyearsin Jerusalem.48He did notdowhat pleasedthe Lord, in contrast to his ancestorDavid.4928:2He followedin the footstepsof50 the kingsof Israel; he alsomadeimagesof the Baals.28:3Heofferedsacrifices in the Valleyof Ben-Hinnomand passed his sonsthrough the fire,51a horriblesin practiced by the nations52whomthe Lorddroveout beforethe Israelites.28:4He offered sacrificesand burned incenseon the high places, onthe hills, and undereverygreentree.

28:5The Lordhis Godhandedhim over to the kingof Syria. The Syrians53 defeatedhim and deportedmany captivesto Damascus.54He was alsohandedover to the kingof Israel, who thoroughly defeatedhim.5528:6In onedayKing Pekahsonof Remaliahof Israel killed120,000warriorsin Judah, because they had abandonedthe LordGodof their ancestors.5628:7Zikri, an Ephraimitewarrior, killedthe king’ssonMaaseiah, Azrikam, the supervisorof the palace, and Elkanah, the king’ssecond-in-command.28:8The Israelitesseizedfrom their brothers200,000wives, sons, and daughters. Theyalsocarried offa huge amountof plunderand tookit57backto Samaria.58

28:16At that timeKingAhazaskedthe king72of Assyriafor help.28:17The Edomiteshad againinvadedand defeatedJudahand carriedoff captives.28:18The Philistineshad raidedthe citiesof Judahin the lowlands73and the Negev. They capturedand settledin Beth Shemesh, Aijalon, Gederoth, Socoand its surrounding villages, Timnahand its surrounding villages, and Gimzoand its surrounding villages.28:19The Lordhumiliated74Judahbecauseof KingAhazof Israel,75forhe encouragedJudahto sin and was very76 unfaithfulto the Lord.28:20KingTiglath-pileser77of Assyriacame, but he gave him more trouble than support.7828:21Ahazgatheredriches79from the Lord’stemple, the royalpalace, and the officialsand gavethem to the kingof Assyria, but that did nothelp.

28:22During his timeof troubleKingAhazwas even moreunfaithfulto the Lord.28:23He offered sacrificesto the godsof Damascuswhom he thought had defeatedhim.80 He reasoned,81 “Sincethe godsof the kingsof Damascushelpedthem, I will sacrificeto them so they will helpme.” But theycausedhim and allIsraelto stumble.28:24Ahazgatheredthe itemsin God’stempleand removedthem. He shutthe doorsof the Lord’stempleand erectedaltarson everystreet cornerin Jerusalem.28:25In everycitythroughout Judahhe set up high placesto offersacrifices to othergods. He angeredthe LordGodof his ancestors.

28:26The restof the eventsof Ahaz’sreign, including his accomplishments from startto finish, are recordedin the Scrollof the Kingsof Judahand Israel.8228:27Ahazpassed away83and was buriedin the City of David;84they did notbringhim to the tombsof the kingsof Israel. His sonHezekiahreplacedhim as king.

Hezekiah Consecrates the Temple

29:1Hezekiahwas twenty-fiveyearsoldwhen he began to reign, and he reignedtwenty-nineyearsin Jerusalem.85His motherwas Abijah,86the daughterof Zechariah.29:2He didwhat the Lordapproved, justas his ancestorDavidhaddone.87

29:15They assembledtheir brothersand consecratedthemselves. Then they wentin to purifythe Lord’stemple, just as the kinghad ordered, in accordance with the word99of the Lord.29:16The prieststhen enteredthe Lord’stempleto purifyit; they brought outto thecourtyardof the Lord’stempleeveryceremonially unclean thingthey discoveredinside.100The Levitestookthem outto the KidronValley.29:17On the firstday of the firstmonththeybeganconsecrating; by the eighthdayof the monththey reachedthe porchof the Lord’stemple.101For eightmore daysthey consecratedtheLord’stemple. On the sixteenthdayof the firstmonththey werefinished.29:18They wenttoKingHezekiahand said: “We have purifiedtheentiretempleof the Lord, including thealtarof burnt sacrificeand allits equipment, and thetablefor the Bread of the Presenceand allits equipment.29:19Wehave preparedand consecratedallthe itemsthatKingAhazremoved during his reignwhen he acted unfaithfully. They are in frontof the altarof the Lord.”

29:20Earlythe next morning KingHezekiahassembledthe cityofficialsand went upto the Lord’stemple.29:21They broughtsevenbulls, sevenrams, sevenlambs, and sevengoatsas a sin offeringforthe kingdom, the sanctuary, and Judah.102The king103 toldthe priests, the descendantsof Aaron, to offerburnt sacrifices onthe altarof the Lord.29:22They slaughteredthe bulls, and the prieststookthebloodand splashedit on the altar. Then they slaughteredthe ramsand splashedthe bloodon the altar; next they slaughteredthe lambsand splashedthe bloodon the altar.29:23Finallythey brought the goatsfor the sin offeringbeforethe kingand the assembly, and they placedtheir handsonthem.29:24Then the priestsslaughteredthem. They offeredtheir bloodas a sinoffering onthe altarto make atonementforallIsrael, becausethe kinghad decreed104 that the burnt sacrificeand sin offeringwere forallIsrael.

29:25King Hezekiah105 stationedthe Levitesin the Lord’stemplewith cymbalsand stringed instruments, just as David, Gadthe king’sprophet,106and Nathanthe prophethad ordered. (The Lordhad actually given these ordersthroughhis prophets.)29:26The Leviteshad107 David’smusicalinstrumentsand the priestshad trumpets.29:27Hezekiahorderedthe burnt sacrificeto be offeredon the altar. As they beganto offer the sacrifice, they also beganto singto the Lord, accompanied by the trumpetsand the musicalinstruments of KingDavidof Israel.29:28The entireassemblyworshiped, as the singerssangand the trumpetersplayed. They continued untilthe burnt sacrificewas completed.

29:29Whenthe sacrificeswere completed, the kingand allwho werewithhim boweddown and worshiped.29:30KingHezekiahand the officialstoldthe Levitesto praisethe Lord, using the psalms108of Davidand Asaphthe prophet.109So they joyfullyoffered praiseand boweddown and worshiped.29:31Hezekiahsaid, “Nowyou have consecratedyourselves110 to the Lord. Comeand bringsacrificesand thank offerings111to the Lord’stemple.” So the assemblybroughtsacrificesand thank offerings, and whoeverdesired to do so112 brought burnt sacrifices.

Hezekiah Observes the Passover

30:1Hezekiahsentmessages throughoutIsraeland Judah; he evenwrotelettersto Ephraimand Manasseh, summoning them to cometo the Lord’stemplein Jerusalem121and observea Passover celebrationfor the LordGodof Israel.30:2The king, hisofficials, and the entireassemblyin Jerusalemdecidedto observethe Passoverin the secondmonth.30:3They were unableto observeit at the regular122 timebecausenotenoughpriestshad consecratedthemselves and the peoplehad notassembledin Jerusalem.30:4The proposalseemedappropriateto123 the kingand the entireassembly.30:5So they sent an edict124throughoutIsraelfrom Beer ShebatoDan, summoning the people125 to comeand observea Passoverfor the LordGodof Israelin Jerusalem, forthey had notobserved iton a nationwidescale asprescribedin the law.12630:6Messengers127delivered the lettersfrom the kingand his officialsthroughoutIsraeland Judah.

30:15They slaughteredthe Passover lambon the fourteenthday of the secondmonth. The priestsand Leviteswere ashamed, so they consecratedthemselves and broughtburnt sacrificesto the Lord’stemple.30:16They stoodat their posts according to the regulationsoutlinedin the lawof Moses, the manof God. The priestswere splashingthebloodas the Leviteshandedit to them.14130:17Becausemanyin the assemblyhad notconsecratedthemselves, the Levitesslaughtered142the Passover lambsof allwho were ceremonially uncleanand could not consecratetheir sacrifice to the Lord.14330:18The majorityof the manypeoplefrom Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulunwere ceremoniallyunclean, yetthey atethe Passoverin violation of what is prescribedin the law.144 ForHezekiahprayedforthem, saying: “May the Lord, who is good, forgive14530:19everyonewho has determinedto followGod,146the LordGodof his ancestors, even if he is notceremonially clean according to the standardsof the temple.”14730:20The Lordresponded favorably148toHezekiahand forgave149the people.